Identifying Water Damage By Smell

Excess water causes millions of dollars of damage to Savannah, GA residences every year. Many times the water rushes in through a broken pipe or hole in the roof. But often, a tiny leak allows a slow constant drip to quietly attack the materials in your home. If you can’t see or hear the water, how will you know if there is a water problem? One effective tool you can rely on to detect water and mold damage is your nose.

Musty Smell

Often a closed room will develop an unpleasant, musty smell. With no ventilation, the stale air will become a breeding ground for fungi such as mold and mildew that give off a musty odor.

A musty smell could also indicate that mold is trapped on the furnace filter or on the humidifier filter. When you turn on your furnace for the first time each year, a musty odor comes from dust and dirt collecting in the air ducts, which gets blown throughout your home when the furnace turns on. If this smell persists throughout the heating season, it could mean you need to change the air filter or that you have water damage. Call a crew from Harper to investigate.

Dirty Socks Smell=Mildew

If you have a heat pump and your home suddenly smells like a locker room after you turn on your heat, you most likely have a buildup of bacteria on your indoor coils. Heat pumps don’t produce high heat like furnaces do; heat pump coil temperatures usually only reach around 105° to 130°—the perfect temperatures for microorganism activity.

What Causes An Electrical Burning Smell?

If you notice an odor that smells like burning plastic or burning electrical parts, it could be something serious. A foreign object in your HVAC system’s ductwork could start to smell once it gets overheated or melts. It could also be something more serious, such as an overheated furnace motor or cracked heat exchanger. If you cannot locate a foreign object in the ductwork, call an experienced technician to check the electrical components in the furnace.

Rotten Eggs

Natural gas is odorless, but suppliers treat the gas with a strong rotten egg smell to make gas leaks more detectable; the smell of sulfur indicates an issue with gas supply. Sometimes, leaks in the gas line or the furnace itself allows gas to seep into your home. Trust your nose. Evacuate your home and call a professional immediately.

When You Have Water Damage In Savannah, GA 

Home maintenance is tough, sometimes you need a trusted partner. If you see, hear, or smell something strange, call in the experts. Harper Special Services is a fully licensed water damage restoration who can provide you with the top water restoration in Savannah, GA that specializes in all types of restorations: water, fire, mold, storm restoration. Whether you are looking for a restoration service by itself or a company that can provide you with the full package emergency services, debris removal, shoring, board ups to restoration, you can always trust our team.

The quality service together with our team of experts will take care of every aspect of the water restoration project as we understand the stress you will be dealing with after such a traumatic experience.